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March 18 1924.

S. E. ANDREWS TANK Filed Dec. '7, 1922 gwuawiom Stratum;

Patented l8, i824.

UNETED STATES SEAltLE E. ANDREWS, OF W.. l.SI-IINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA..

TANK.

Application filed December 7, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Senate E. ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of l i ashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tanks; and I do hereby declare the "following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in storage tanks, and more particularly to tanks designed to constitute a reservoir for sprinkler systems and similar installations, which require a nor mal reserve supply of water or other fluid to be maintained in said tanks at all times. It is customary to install such tanks on or adiaoent to buildings, which also require a water supply for normal purposes in the operation of the building, which water supply is usually maintained in elevated tanks. It was originally proposed'to employ a single tank to contain water for both the sprinkler systems and the normal supply of the building, but, owing to the liability to deplete the supply for the sprinkler system by continued use for the normal uses of the buildin stringent regulations have been generally adopted to prevent the use of a single tank for both of the indicated purposes. Various expedients have been suggested to permit the use of a single tank'to furnish water for both of the purposes indicated, among the most promising of which was the provision. of a tank of such capacity as to contain a body of water suliicient to meet the requirements of the regulations governing sprinkler supplies, and also to provide sutlicient excess water to meet the requirements of the normal operations of the establishment to which the tank was applied, by connecting a separate discharge pipe from the tank to the piping of the building for daily use, the intake of the separate supply pipe being at the normal level of the water supply for the sprin: kler system, or the like, so that the normal amount of water to supply the sprinkler system would be maintained in the tank at all times. This particular system was found objectionable in that the continuous use of the water for the regular operation of the building caused a large accumulation of sediment to collect in the bottom of the tank, which seriously impaired the efficiency of the sprinkler system, so that this promising ex- Serial No. 605,444.

pedient was also prohibited. The present invention has for its object to provide a storage tank having a capacity in excess of a normal reserve supply of water or the like, required for a sprinkler system or similar installation, provided with the usual main discharge trom the tank connected with the sprinkler system at the bottom o1. the tank, and an auxiliary discharge communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof, and including means to prevent the operation of the auxiliary discharge when the level of the contents of the tank falls to that of the normal reserve supply, but to permit the water to be drawn freely from the tank for ordinary uses, so long as the volume of water in the tank is in excess of said normal reservoir supply. In the preferred form of the invention, the auxiliary discharge comprises an inverted U-pipe extending upwardly in the tank, having its intake end communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof, and its discharge leg extending through the wall of the tank, said discharge pipe being provided with an open vent located at the normal. level of the re serve supply, so that, so long as the amount of water in the tank exceeds said reserve supply, the vent in the pipe is sealed, and the water maybe drawn off from the bottom of the tank until the level falls to that of the vent, when the operation of: the auxiliary discharge pipe will be automatically stopped, and no further water may be drawn there from until an additional amount is supplied to the tank. This arrangement not only ensures the constant maintenance of the normal reserve supply for the sprinkler system or the like, but also prevents the accumulation ofsediment in the bottom of the tank, as such sediment would be largely drawn oil by the normal operation of the auxiliary discharge. The apparatus altords a further advantage in that it constitutes a definite indicator for accumulated sediment in the tank, evidenced by the turbidity ot' the water from the auxiliary discharge, thereby requiring the blowing off of the sediment should the same reach a dangerous stage warranted to impair the efiiciency of the system connected with the main discharge of the tank. Preferably, the intake of the auxiliary discharge is connected directly to the blow-01f connection at the bottom of the tank, to render more certain the indication of the accumulation of sediment in the tank by the condition of the water delivered from the auxiliary discharge.

The invention is illustrated in the acconipanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, of a more or less diagrammatic character, of a stand ard tank, including the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of the vent in the auxiliary discharge pipe.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a storage tank ol any preferred or standard construction, preitc ably provided with a rounded or ilownwardly convened bottoi'u 2, the tank being supported. by the usual standards 3. Communicati with the bottom of the tank is a dischai pipe which establishes connnunication between the tank and a sprinkler system or other to of apparatus for the supply of which a normal reserve of v-rater in the tank must be retained at all times, in c n't'orn'iity with law and usage. in the present stance, the normal level of the reserve supply of liquid in the tank is indicated by .re line leaving a relatively lai portion oi the tank above this level the s water for other purposes t system similar app ample, as the supply of t in the daily operation 0'] structure to which the tar l: is app Connected with the bottom 2o. is a blow-oil pipe provided with no usue valve 6, which permits any acmin'iuluted sed ment or fore n material which collects in the bottom. of the tank bein blown oil and di charged when the valve (i is opened,

Gonnected by a suitable union 7 with the blow-oil pipe 5 is the intake leg: 8 of an auxiliary discharge pipe, raid he" 8 e:i-:tending upwardly in the tank being connected at its top with a tl-shaped coupling}; 9, to which. is connected the dischurgh 10 of the auxiliary discharge pipe, which preferably passes through the bob 1 ot the tank, but may, if desired, be passed through the wall of the tank at any point at or below the normal water level. of the reserve supply indicated by the line ar -m. At a point coincident with the water level of the reserve supply, the auxiliary discharge pipe is provided with a vent, such as a hole 11, which may be conveniently formed in the U coupling 9, said vent being); oi" suthcient size to admit the air to the siphon-like discharge pipe, and stop the disclia" e oi water therefrom when the water level in the tank falls suliciently to uncover said vent ll... The vent is preferably covered with a screen 12 to prevent the ingress of foreign mate-- rial, which might tend to clog; the vent or the auxiliary discharge pipe. i

As indicated, the level of the water in the tank must be retained at a lined normal, represented, for example, by the line ma',

o t watt in of and reserve for the sprinl-tler may be ti as requ red by way or se 2111.?- ihary discharge ioe, the water entering said discharge p pe at the bottom ot the oi the blow-out connection, So long as the water level is above the vent open .1; ll in the discharge pipe, the latter will be kept :1 f: V. UH F all oi water all tunes, ready to be drawn upon tor the new needs or the building.

el of the water in lVhen, however,

u on 1 a H r ,1 i ii are taint reaches t 0.; the normal iesci ve supply for tee si'. ...k er system, the vent l opening is uncovered and air is admitted to the discluirge pi e, thcreb ettectively inter rupting and s .oanng iiow or" water therefrom, l any depletion of the normal I l v hile the invention is illustrated wise a simple hole or orifice in the discharge pipe at the level of the normal reserve supply, it will be obvious that any other suitable in-ans for venting the auxiliary discharg e pine and stopping the operation thei or when this level. is ea-cued, may be employed, such, for ex:- emple, as a mlve in the au iliary discharge pipe, which would operated by float, to vent the discharge pipe when the decline of the u level to that of the reserve supply causes he float to full and open the venting valve.

lit will be apparent that the capacity of the tank may be increased as desired, over that required to retain the normal reserve supply, with. the assurance that substantially clear water will be available at all times for the sprinkler s store, because of the fact that the sediment will be either drawn oft by the auxiliary discharge, or its presence in dangerous quantities indicated by the condition of the water delivered. from the auxiliary discharge, thereby' requirine the operation of the blow-oil to get rid or the sediment or foreign matter.

What I claim is:

1. A storage tank for combined sprinkler system and building supply having a capacity in excess 01" a normal reserve supply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge connected near the bottom of the tank to supply the sprinkler system, and an auxiliary discharge to supply the building communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof, said auxiliary discharge including means to prevent the operation thereof when the level of the contents of the tank falls to that of the normal reserve supply.

2. A storage tank for combined sprinkler system and building supply having a capacity in excess of a normal reserve supply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge connected near the bottom of the tank to supply the sprinkler system, and an auxiliary discharge pipe to supply the building communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof extending upward within the tank at least to the level of the reserve supply, said auxiliary pipe including means to prevent the operation thereof when the level of the contents of the tank falls to that of the normal reserve supply.

3. A storage tank for combined sprinkler system and building supply having a capacity in excess of a normal reserve supply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge connected near the bottom of the tank to supply the sprinkler system, and an auxiliary discharge pipe to supply the building communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof extending upward within the tank to at least the level of the reserve supply thence to the exterior of the tank, said auxiliary pipe having means at the normal reserve level to prevent the operation of said pipe when the contents of the tank falls to said level.

4. A storage tank for combined sprinkler and building supply having acapacity in excess of a normal reserve supply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge connected near the bottom of the tank to supply the sprinkler system, and an auxiliary discharge to supply the building comprising a reverse bend pipe extend ing upwardly in the tank with its intake end communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof and its discharge end passing through the tank Wall, said pipe having an open vent at the no .mal reserve supply level.

5. A storage tank for combined sprinkler system and building supply having a capacity in excess of a normal reserve sup ply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge pipe communicating with the tank near the bottom thereoi to supply the sprinkler system, an auxiliary discharge pipe to supply the building, said pipe being of inverted U shape extending upwardly in said tank, with its intake leg communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof and its discharge leg passing through the tank Wall, said auxiliary discharge pipe having an open vent at the normal reserve supply level.

6. A storage tank for combined sprinkler system and building supply having a capacity in excess of a normal reserve supply of liquid for the sprinkler system, a main discharge pipe communicating with the tank near the bottom thereof to supply the sprinkler system, a valved sediment discharge pipe connected With the bottom of the tank, and a building supply pipe connected with said sediment discharge pipe between the valve therein and the tank extending upward in the tank to at least the level of the reserve supply thence to the exterior of the tank, said building supply tank having an air vent therein at the normal reserve supply level.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SEARLE E. ANDREWS 

